Give A Little, Get A Lot
by Melaly
Summary: As Harry faces his 7th year and the prospect of leaving Hogwarts, he decides to heed the advice of a certain red head.. This is the story of what happens as he discovers a way to leave his mark on the only place he had ever called home. (HPGW)
1. Resolutions

At exactly 8:32 in the morning on September 1st, 16 year-old Ginny Weasley awoke from her peaceful sleep. It was at 8:49 however, that she finally pushed herself up from the comfy mattress, and stretched her arms up over her head. What she thought was a harmless stretch to get the crick out of her neck, turned out to be a complete disaster.

Not only did she not get the crick out, she had swung her arm right into her beside table, and knocked her lamp from Egypt on to the floor.

But it wasn't the floor that it chose land on. _Oh_, no! It was her pinky toe. The one on her left foot to be exact. The one with that cute little freckle. Yes, thats the one.

And from that point on, Ginny knew her day was doomed. Possibly her entire week.

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"Ron! _Ron_! Hang on a minute! WAIT!!!!" Ginny yelled helplessly to her brother, who was at least 6 yards ahead of her, weaving in and out of people. Ginny and Ron were now the last two Weasley children attending Hogwarts, and after this term, Ginny would be the last. She usually loved the train ride back to school, but today was... different. Their parents had said goodbye to them at their house, and left Ron to escort Ginny to the station. And what an adventure that had been. They had to travel the Muggle way, by underground train, and from what Ginny learned, Ron could not read a map to save his life.

They were heading towards the large brick wall through which lay Platform 9 and 3/4. She chanced a glance at her small wrist watch while she approached a large area clear of people. It was 10:57. 3 minutes and counting.

"Hurry up, Gin, we're nearly there!" Ron yelled to her, not looking back. He skidded to a stop in front of the wall, and stood on his tippy toes, scanning the crowd for his younger sister. And she came, limping as fast as her crippled pinky toe would let her, dragging her trolly behind.

"Run a bit faster next time! Just a bit!" She huffed sarcastically, hurriedly pushing her tousled red hair out of her face.

"Sorry, but we were gonna miss it." He said, "Come on!"

And with that, he grabbed his trolly, and they dashed together straight through the brick wall, on to Platform 9 and 3/4.

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Safely on the train, (Ginny had practically broken her already stubbed toe pulling her trunk on to the train before it started moving) Ron said goodbye to Ginny and headed to the Prefect's carriage. To everyone's surprise, Ron had become Head Boy. The day the letters came by owl post, and Ron told Mrs. Weasley of what he had been appointed, she nearly had a heart attack. Charlie had been visiting, and he almost had to send for emergency St. Mungo's healers. They calmed her down eventually, and she proceeded to sob all over Ron for another 3 hours.

And of course, on that very same day, another owl arrived with news from Hermione Granger. She was Head Girl. It was no more than anyone expected, after her 7 years of perfect grades and not one detention. This, of course, made Ron very, very happy.

So now, it was just Ginny. Ginny alone, and Ginny all by her lonesome self. Unless of course.. a certain someone came to find her. She smiled to herself as she slid the door of an empty compartment open and guided her huge trunk through the door, and threw herself down on to the seat.

In the past year, Ginny had become particularly close to Harry. They talked to each other more often, each one of their conversations better than the last. He would often tell her things he didn't feel comfortable telling Ron and Hermione, only because he knew them so well and knew how they would react. Ginny knew none of this however. She also didn't know that Harry was now beginning to see her as maybe more than a friend.. She was the one who was always there, always ready to listen. Just seeing her face could make whatever worry he'd been feeling lessen.

And this was the reason that he was now weaving in and out of the corridors searching for her.

And he finally found her. She was sitting indian style in the seat closest to the window, staring glossy-eyed out of it. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy pony tail, and she was biting her nails.

He knocked on the door, and smiled at her. She snapped out of her trance and beamed back at him. _Yes! Yes, yes!!! I knew he'd come look for me.. how predictable.. wait.. is that a good thing, or a bad thing? _He slid open the compartment door with ease and slipped inside.

"Hey, Ginny... Er.. where's Ron and Hermione?" he asked timidly, as he sat down across from her.

_See? He only came looking for Ron.. and you thought he wanted to sit with you.. silly girl._

"They're up front in the Prefect's carriage.. Head Boy and Girl, you know." she answered, frowning slightly.

He laughed and took a sarcastic tone. "Oh, right.. I'd completely forgotten after.. how many was it? 6 letters all talking about Hermione this and Head Boy that.. He wouldn't shut up about it."

"Try living with him.. and if you think he was bad, you should've seen Mum.. she about died. Charlie almost sent for Mungo's." She smiled. Maybe he did want to talk to her after all.. And she was quite sure of this after at least 45 minutes of sitting with her. It was possibly the most fun she had had all summer.. and it wasn't even summer anymore. That counted for something, right?

"Well, I think I'm going to go find Ron and Hermione.. I haven't seen them all summer, you know." Harry said, standing up and looking at her. _She's grown... she looks older.. and... prettier... _

"Okay. I'll stay here, I don't know how many more times I can watch Ron polish his badge. See you at dinner... unless you decide to come back." _Nice,_ she thought. _An invitation, yet not too obvious._

"Yeah," he answered, "You know what, Ginny.. I don't know what I'm going to do at the end of this term.. Graduation, and all... It's going to be hard."

_I don't want him to leave either.. what am I supposed to say to that??_

"Well.." she started, cheeks going rather red, "Don't think about that... Enjoy it while it lasts... and you know.. this is the year to kind of finish everything off.. or maybe do something crazy you've always wanted to do, but didn't want to get in trouble for.. They can't really do anything to 7th years, can they?"

"I s'pose you're right... Well, see you later." He smiled slightly, and then turned to leave. He couldn't believe all the talk about how 7th year is the best because you get to leave school.. the truth was, now that he thought about it, Harry didn't want to leave Hogwarts. It was his home.. and.. and.. _Ginny_ would still be here next term... And the more he thought about this, the more he realized, being in 7th year certainly wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

(A/N: Woo! I'm back... This is my first attempt at Harry/Ginny, so give me feedback.. OOC? I feel like they are, but I really wanted to get this story up. I'm putting 'Nine Months' on hold for a while.. I have no idea where that's going.. this one.. well, It's Harry's 7th year, and it's going to be pretty much about him taking Ginny's advice and finishing off what he wants to do at school, and kind of leaving his mark. 'Finishing off' meaning "telling certain people how you feel about them before it's too late, and figuring out what you want with your life".. So, yeah. :D I think I have a plan for this one. Tell me what you think!)


	2. Stress Relief

(A/N: Just so you know- any big sections in italics are Harry or Ginny's thoughts. Sometimes they'll be talking to themselves using I's and me's, and sometimes it'll be like someone else is in their heads talking to them, just to clarify that. Anyway, in this chapter, things get a bit complicated for them, and I feel like it's a bit too soon in the story, so let me know what you think. Enjoy!)

In the span of 2 seconds, the Great Hall came alive with noise. Dumbledore had just finished making his start-of-term speech, and a few announcements. The first years were sorted, and the ghosts were making their appearances as they did every year to welcome the new students.

The Gryffindor table was unusually packed this year. There were a great deal of first years who were sorted into the house. Ron and Hermione sat in an isolated section of the table, talking quietly, each of them occasionally laughing and blushing madly. Ginny watched them for a few minutes, silently cheering Ron on.. She even caught his eye and gave him a sarcastic thumbs up, which caused him to go even redder and make a not so polite hand gesture at her from behind the bowl of rice so no one else would see.

She laughed to herself, and then jumped as a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

"What's so funny?" asked Harry, plopping himself down on the bench next to Ginny.

"Ron and Hermione.. they're just sickening, aren't they? I didn't know how much longer Ron could go without practically jumping on her. Took him long enough." she answered, inserting a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. She rather liked the table being so crowded. No one would overhear what they were saying first of all, and second of all... well..

_His arm is touching mine!!!!_

_Oh, please.. I sound like a 12 year old... so what do I care if I can feel his... his.. bulging arm muscles through the sleeve of his robes??!? Okay, I confess... I'm dying here!! Qudditch practice does the body good!_

"Yeah.. it is about time.. I mean honestly.. ever since their whole fight about Krum, it was just obvious." he said, turning to look at her.

She glanced back and cut a piece of steak on her plate. "No way.. it started way before the Krum fight.. I'd say it was from you're 3rd year, my second, when Ron thought Crookshanks ate Scabbers, remember?"

"Yeah.. maybe. I guess we'll never know.. like they'll be keen on telling us when they first started fancying each other.. I can't believe how fast my little babies are growing up.." He sniffed loudly, and Ginny snorted into her potatoes.

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The next couple of weeks passed in quick succession. Classes and homework were taking up most of everyone's time, with the occasional Quiddich match to attend, and visits to Hogsmeade. Halloween came and went, Thanksgiving passed, and it was now mid-December. The snow would trickle from the constant grey skies every other day or so, and it was getting colder with each one that passed. But it was the night of December 15th that something exciting finally happened.

Harry had finally gone up to bed after a long night of N.E.W.T. Potions homework, and complicated star charts for N.E.W.T. Astronomy. He was the last one still awake, and he crept up to bed as quietly as he could, not to disturb anyone. Ron was drooling on his pillow and his arm was hanging off the edge of his four-poster bed. He twitched and started talking in his sleep, saying things that led Harry to believe he was having a sweet little dream about a certain bushy-haired Head Girl. He started laughing at this thought, and clapped a hand to his mouth the stifle the sound.

When he finally crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep, it felt as if he'd been so for 5 minutes before he awoke suddenly. A dark.. _someone_ was prodding him with their wand.

"Who's there!?" He whispered harshly, sitting up. His heart was beating fast.

"It's me, you prat, no need to bite my head off," whispered a girl's voice.

"Ginny? Sorry.. and I didn't do it on purpose... Like I could see that it was you in this completely pitch black-"

"Shhhh.." she whispered even softer as Ron stirred in the bed to her left, "Get your invisibility cloak and your little map, and meet me downstairs.. I want to show you something."

She moved toward the door and creaked it open, slipping through. Harry got out of his bed and put on his slippers, grabbed his cloak and trusty Maurader's Map, and followed her out.

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They were headed towards the room of requirement. Harry recognized the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy when they reached it, and sure enough, Ginny stopped at the exact place where he knew the entrance to the room was.

"Okay," she whispered, "Let's do this.."

"What exactly are we-"

"Shh.."

She walked to the edge of the blank stretch of wall, her eyes shut tight, concentrating. 3 times she paced in front of the wall, each time, mouthing noiselessly her wishes for what the room would become. And the door appeared.

She cracked an eye open, saw the door, and her mouth split into a wide grin.

"Come on.. it's good, I promise." she said. She moved her hand to the large brass handle, and pulled it. She took his hand, feeling their fingers lace together naturally, and led him inside.

_What are you doing!? Grabbing his hand? He's not stupid, Ginny, he can find his own way into a room with an abnormally huge doorway leading to it.. you know you have to let go, right!? ..But it's so.. warm.. and.. ew.. sweaty? _

A large grand piano was sitting in the middle of the room, and there was a crackling fire, and lanterns all around the.. padded walls?

The door clicked shut, (_GINEVRA WEASLEY! LET GO OF THAT BOY'S HAND THIS INSTANT!!!!) _shedropped his hand, and made her way to the piano.

"Sound proof!" she screamed. Harry covered his ears in surprise, and his eyes went wide.

"Ginny.. are you sure? I mean.. what if Filch or.. or.. someone hears and-"

"Don't be silly, Harry. Come sit. When has the room of requirement ever failed us before?" She patted the space on the piano bench next to her. He stumbled over to it and sat down, running a hand over the porcelain keys.

"Can you play?" he asked, looking at her. She was smiling, and Harry went completely dumbstruck as she began to play a pretty melody, not missing a note.

She continued to play, adding the left hand in, the pedal, and a few chords. And Harry just sat, staring at her as she closed her eyes, and began to hum along to the song. When it ended, she slowly opened her eyes, and smiled at him, bringing him back to earth.

"Like it?" she asked in an unneeded whisper.

"It was," he swallowed, "It was perfect, Ginny... I never knew you could play.."

"I learned this summer when I went to stay with my Grandmother. She has a piano, and I just kind of.. taught myself, I suppose. Anyway, I just thought it'd be fun to show you.. step one in rebelling against the school before you graduate, right? Nightly strolls and screaming at the top of your lungs at 1:00 in the morning. It feels quite good, actually. Maybe I'll come back here one night... good stress relief." She smiled, and Harry laughed.

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2 hours later, they pulled the cloak back over their heads, and started making their way back to Gryffindor Tower. They had spent the last 2 hours sitting on the bench talking about everything that had happened in the last couple of months, and about how different it would be with Ron and Hermione now that they were kind of sort of dating, and lots of other random things. As Harry bent his wand down to check the map, Ginny smiled to herself. This was probably the second-most-fun she had had all.. not-summer. And both times she had been with Harry.. was it a sign?

When they finally got back inside the common room, it was nearly 3 a.m.

"I had fun, Ginny.. thanks for that." Harry whispered, pulling the cloak off and folding it. He tapped the map with his wand as well, and it went blank. he slipped them both into his pajama pocket.

"Me too.. I mean.. I had fun, too.. I always seem to have fun when I'm with you, why is that?" she smiled, her cheeks going slightly red. _He's so sweet.. _"Well... um.. goodnight, Harry."

She turned to head towards the spiral staircase leading up to the girl's dormitories. But before she took even two steps, his hand was around her wrist.

"Ginny... wait."

She turned around to face him again, finding he was closer to her than she expected. Her face was practically smushed up against his chest, him being a good head taller than her. She couldn't help but notice his muscles slightly stretching the fabric of his pajamas, and she could smell him. _Am I dead yet? Are you sure? Because I really think I just died.. _She leaned her head back to look at him, eyes wide, and her cheeks burning.

And before she knew what was happening, Harry pitched forward and kissed her.

She stood frozen solid, her heart pumping, and her expression one of shock.

"Wow..." she managed to squeak out. And then she finally came to herself.

"Goodnight, Harry." she said quickly, before whirling around and dashing up the spiral staircase leaving a completely dazed and extremely confused Harry behind. He was staring after her, heart pumping, still not completely sure what in the bloody hell he had just done.

(A/N: Yay! I'm leaving it here.. I'm tired anyway, and I still have to proof read it, and upload it before I can go to bed.. I like this chapter. Lots. Tell me what you think! (Sorry.. I already said that didn't I?)


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